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August 2, 2018 7:02 pm
Harvest messages are brought to you by harvest partners to receive free email daily devotions or to become a harvest partner, please visit us online@harvest.org TV well welcome and were going to have a very interesting discussion tonight that I think you're going to be glad you can be be a part of him and interviewed a few moments, my friend, like a real Bible scholar Don Stewart and so it's kind of hard to stump Don. I always try to but he pretty much knows the answer to every question I can think of. So we'll get to that in a moment so would just simply calling this answering questions nonbelievers ask and if you're out sharing your faith.
It's only can be a matter of time until a nonbeliever will wire some of those hard questions your direction. We need to understand that one of the reasons nonbelievers do this is not always because they want to answer their questions, but because they want you to leave them alone right years ago is to go to a restaurant with Jonathan, who was just a few moments ago was just a little guy. He was still in the highchair and I don't know why but there was this one waitress in the restaurant who really like Jonathan and so she would sort of hover around him and pinched his cheek and tell them how cute he wasn't all that and and wonder where this restaurant in the whole time she was just showing them all this interest and affection he was muttering something over his right hip say that the whole time and and finally when she left he said Jonathan what are you saying and he said I'm saying go bye-bye.
So he just wanted her to go away and sometimes a more engaging someone is a Christian. They ask you these questions because they literally want you to go bye-bye okay I don't want you to be put off by that. I remember when I was not a Christian. I used to have a pretty good tough exterior that I hid behind. I remember I would see Christians walking around handing out the little booklets and tracks and I wanted someone to engage me with the gospel. What a Christian would approach I would scallop them and they bought bought it and would just sort of thrusted track of my drugs in the walkoff when in my heart. It was literally safe.
Please talk to me and I kept all of those tracks in a drawer at home in my bedroom, and every now and then I'd pull that drawer out which is kind of like God drawer is that is why put everything that was given to me that was religious.
I had information from evangelical Christians, Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons, you name it was in the start and I would throw it out on the bed and at times for this sorted out. I needed someone to show me the way so we want to pray for wisdom because sometimes people are asking questions because they really want answers, and sometimes they want us to just well go bye-bye.
Here's what the Bible says in second Timothy 215. Be diligent and study to present yourself approved to God to work at the does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth, so we need to study because you don't want to be caught without any answers not working to address this in a few moments.
It's not the end of the world if you don't have the answer for every question your wrath, but we want to do our best to be prepared because first Peter 315 says we should always be prepared to give an answer to anyone who asks us for the reason of the hope we have and we should do it with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience until the idea is we want to have an answer. If we can in that phrase there give an answer comes from a root word of apology we get our English word apologetic drop in apologetic in this context is to give a verbal defense or a logical explanation of what you believe being a Christian does not mean you check your brains out the door as some would think a yes it's a life of faith that we are private.
Hey, we apply faith all the time going when I go to a restaurant and I order something. I hope I will get food poisoning from it like a bunch of people that recently had supposedly in Chicago you know you I'm hoping they're preparing the meal.
According to health standards back there in the kitchen when I get on a plane. I'm hoping my pilot will be alert and will be very careful to get me to my destination when I get when I go to the doctor and and he doesn't just send me. I'm hoping that Dr. is trustworthy.
I can trust what they say to me when I go to the pharmacist to fill my prescription. I'm hoping the put the right pills in the right little in a canister for me so I don't die right. So the point is, I apply faith every single day in so many situations, and then someone says I have faith in God and you say you insane. There's no way but who better to put our faith in. Then God and and really it was when I started reading the Bible and things started making sense to me. I used to believe that man was basically good. That's a hard believe the hold in this day and age is in it because I saw so many things that contradicted that when I read the Bible and I realize that man is not basically good but actually man is basically bad.
In fact, he's Bubba Bubba Bubba bad he's bad to the bone dry.
I learned that from reading the Bible.
CS Lewis" I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun is risen, not only because I see it, but because by it. I see every thing else so we want to have the answers but here's the key. We don't want to dispense the information we have from God's word like a sledgehammer. You know, if you want to win some you must be winsome you must be kind. You must be caring. Paul writes in second Timothy 224 the Lord's servants was not quarrel but be kind to everyone, so no matter who you are addressing show kindness to and who was a better example of this than Jesus, look at Jesus with the woman at the well, if anyone could have taken a superior attitude or looked down his nose at someone else. It would would've been Christ without a moral woman who had been married and divorced five times and was living with Amana present, but we see how the Lord went out of his way to meet her waiting in the hot sun for her to arrive at the well there in the middle of the city at 12 noon he engaged her in conversation he listened to her that he responded to what she said and you know when were talking the nonbelievers one on one. It should be a dialogue not a monologue. I don't like it when I see Christians preaching in the face of people like yelling at them and waving their Bible you know keep it conversational.
Don't compromise what you're saying but you don't have to yell to preach does not mean elevating your volume and means communicating the message so on were totally going all the world and preach the gospel. It's articulating this message in a way that people can understand our objective is not to win the argument. It is to win the soul.
Let me say that again. Our objective is not to win the argument. It's to win the soul.
I want to try by the to the best of my ability. By God's grace and the leading of the Holy Spirit. When that person, the Christ. There's not a one-size-fits-all approach to evangelism. I mention Jesus and other woman at the well is conversation with her was very different than his conversation with the religious man Nicodemus and his conversation with Nicodemus was quite different than his conversation with Zach ES and I conversation was different than the conversation that Christ had with the woman caught in the act of adultery and so on. I think sometimes Christians are just too robotic and and everything is sort of can and we want to try to pray for the leading of the Spirit to have the right words for the right moment were talking to someone about their need for Jesus Christ while having said that will be long.
If you're out telling others about Jesus before your last. The following questions and then some. How could a God of love allow suffering in the world.
If God is all good and God is all loving what is he allow injustice tragedies, terrorism, war, and all the other problems. A life throws our way. Or how about this one.
How can you say that the Bible is the word of God. The Bible is full of contradictions.
What about the person who is never heard the gospel.
You know, living on in the middle of the jungle somewhere under the weather.
Always in the jungle. But around the middle of a desert they've never heard about Jesus Christ. Will God send them to hell. Or how about this one.
How can you say Jesus Christ is the only way to God. I believe those say that all religions teach the same thing in Christ is just one of many ways. How do we respond to those questions. By the way, have you ever been asked any of those questions. I just yet, so you've heard him.
So let's bring a bona fide scholar out to help us. Let's give a warm harvest welcome to Don Stewart Haydon so I like to call Don Yoda because he's like Yoda so done. Here's your lightsaber. You know to turn it on yet is your living Hope you.
You're so done on June 20 like the ready nicer so you got carried away boys and their toys jointly with the brokers. That's right. Alright so Don, Greg, thank you for coming, nose, and how many books have you written told you I lost track about 75 some like that don't you feel that's bragging intended no harm, no, if I have written 100 and among those clicks are the keys for Christianity. A close examination, Don Stewart, is this a new one.
I know that's been around for about 10 reasons to trust the Bible and the rapture on a questions about the rapture yes and some rapture fans yes living living in the light of eternity. And here's another one.
Humility and how I found it no I made at a bar there's another book that's my favorite of Don's. I know Greek and you don't know.
He then writes about noise. You do know great don't you you started so often when were talking and we just did the pastor's perspective radio program today some Alaska Greek question and I will open up his great Bible. He's looking it up. Very helpful sometimes a problem with this is what actually done so you've written a lot about summer. Glad you're here so can it just kinda start with some questions. Now do we put that number on the screen yet a number that folks can call you see that number that's Don's personal number so if you need anything like literally some of the pick up some groceries call that number no message so that number will go to this phone right here and I will look at your questions and kind of insert them into these other questions him and asked on so right now the question comes to mind Russ were talking.
If you think of something texted to that number and will try to get to the question tonight will sit down if you remit asked a question you like did not know the answer to yeah affect every question of I was ever aspirate the first time I was asking did know the answer to what I said I don't know but I'll find out. So the next time they ask that I knew the answer.
All you all the time when the early years so that brings us to the question, what about when you're asked the question you don't know the answer. Do what you do you say look, I don't know but I will find out because Sandy knows the answer.
Yet the answers are there.
Just finding where there at and don't let people tell you because you don't know the answer on the spot and at one second and so that's it.
Standing falls down. Not a lot of people thought that and said that no, I don't know the answer will find out because again there are answers and that's the great news, yes, right now. Okay, let's start with the one that is often asked and this is the easiest question to answer, but tied the question of the existence of evil in the world and there are so many ways to illustrate this, though, it usually frames something along the lines of how could a God of love. I love how they always pray with how can a God of love so immediately by starting that way they're already saying, in effect, that a the judge to determine if God is a God of love or not and so already there saying that they think that God is not loving because of these things, but how could a God of love allow evil and suffering in the world.
If God is all-powerful, why doesn't he stop it.
Does he not care about sin, and as it was framed in one question on Facebook to me why should I the nonbeliever believe in a God that allows chaos, destruction, and horrible things that happen in my lifetime on earth like with natural disaster, war and politics.
I think it's humorously out of the word politics to it. So this is one of the great horrible things in the world to him today so what is okay so here I am.
I'm not sure my faith and they hit me with this. How deep into that answer to why go. How would you respond okay when you want to say is this isn't the world that God created you live in an abnormal the world God created was perfect. Genesis 131 the Lord said after he finished grading. It was not just good it was very good but it's not very good now because Genesis chapter 3 tells us, sin entered the world a certain time in the past and because of that, things evil happens, things people die. The world is falling now that's the world were in now. The good news is it's not always gonna be that way. Revelation 21 five the Lord says I want to make all things new, something that's one of the wonderful promises in the Bible so the person we want to get across is sin brought death, dying and destruction of the world. It wasn't something God originally made so. This is not the world that God made, we have to understand that because if this world was the world God made in God would be evil. He would be the devil, but he did make this world this when you became this way because of the sin of the first two humans.
A lot of the suffering in the world today is actually brought on to man by man. We like them conveniently make God the scapegoat for all that is wrong, but we talk about war. We talked about terrorism. We talked about a lot of these things and it's really us doing this to ourselves because we have a sinful nature which kind of addresses the whole issue of man being basically good we really are basically good. Are we know were not were falling now were not as bad as we could be yeah and each and every one of us. Greg is the potential doing every type of abominable sin is only the grace of God we don't do these things. Like there's goodness in people. You were basically fallen creatures and so work and towards doing evil. You have to teach a child evil. Two things wrong. If you have children you know what I'm talking about right Junior doesn't learn from Junior knows right away what's right rundown of teaching yet. Here's one person the right. My friend thinks he's going to heaven because she is a good person but she is not put her faith in Jesus.
So what about that person. There they say they're good now. It will good compared to what God compares us to Jesus again. God is a great on a curve were not compared to the drunk down the street or some politicians or some like that were compared Jesus Christ. How did you compare to have most people Greg and to be honest, they will not really that well and he's perfect were not one sin if you offended James as and when the law offended. Also, you need a Savior. That's why Jesus came to the problem is we think were good were comparing ourselves to others is not what God does. He has the perfect standard and again all of sin come short of the glory of God. That's right.
So coming back to the question of suffering. You know another thing I think it can be brought up as is God can work to suffering. You know sometimes it suffering that brings people to Christ. I mean, I receive letters all the time of people that are down and out. The one guy wrote me recently he's in prison for some bad choices he made, got the drugs, even dealing drugs, but it was in prison that he heard the gospel or I mentioned this to you another time. But Tom I registering a newspaper about a guy they had lines of the article was man is thankful he was bitten by shark them thinking what I've read this and what happened was this guy was out swimming the shark bit of a great white and so he went into the hospital to be treated for the shark bite and while they were treating him and doing some surgery on they discovered cancer that he didn't know he had because he had been open exposed on in the side of his body and so because of that they were able to remove the cancer that he didn't know he had so he says I think God shark saved my life. So sometimes you know the tragedy of hardship or difficulty can be a wake-up call to show us our need for God. Yet you know Greg when I was a young Christian I read a book by Manning Lewis Sperry chafer. He was the former president of Dallas theological seminary, and he was on Satan's called Satan's masterpiece, and some I never thought of. He said Satan's masterpiece is in the guy down and out the drunk on the street. It's the person living on the bluff.
This got everything going for you doesn't need God doesn't need the guy down out knows that need help right.
That's what they look they look for something else, but the seemingly have everything I don't need anybody, and so when people are doing fine. They don't turn to God, what happens immediately when problems come turning to start crying out someone asked me this question the other day what about the person that has everything, and I think this comes to maybe a way we present the gospel, that's not completely accurate and by this I mean sometimes also to present the gospel as my life was messed up and I was empty and lonely and Jesus came into my life and now I found purpose and joint and that's all true. And that's good, that's fine to say those things but don't only say those things because this person asked the question what about the person who says our champerty happy and I don't feel this emptiness. Maybe you had and you know I have amazing home and have a great career. Never perfect family and everything's going my way all what you see that person about their need for Jesus Christ. If everything is going their way in life. Yeah, the problem is that person can live forever, and after this life, there's something else definitely to a destination, and the Bible says we are made for eternity. And so you might be doing good right here but once you're gone, what's gonna happen then to the Bible gives answers greater than three basic questions whom I why my here it's gonna happen to me when I die, we have no way of knowing this, in and of ourselves.
We have to have someone tell us this, we have some of the total system that is God and people think I'm self-sufficient. I'm happy dissidents were first about people are their whole life happy. Everybody has tragedy ever has a problem sooner or later to what I tell people just be there for your friend or relative.
Maybe your parents got up and going for just white because when a tragedy strike that a return of the person has the answers and shirt because they'll know they don't have addresses questions why am I here what were the three cousins limiting her why my Yahoo I might who are you annoyed midnight on stewing on your Grigori.
We just settle that you held. We have that one right now. I will even made an image of God in Genesis 126 and 127 were not a mistake of evolution when either by blind chance. We been made many sub diverse Egyptian Christians believe in evolution and the Bible simultaneously while the candy shouldn't because about it and teach it. Can there should this probably should rest the question that way. You're right about that, should they know they should not they can and do, but they should not thank you for that correction. Please write you person can that I've heard some I read some believers. It will you. I believe in evolution, but I believe in the Bible, doing what that does to me is you don't really you probably don't know much about either excess say that because you wouldn't say that you knew what evolution actually teaches.
Are you will fall from an eight or lower life form or or do you believe that the Scripture says about the creation of bed yacht evolution creation like two horses writing the opposite Dragon I am writing both got right. One of the other. So coming back to my your made in the image of an image and likeness of God, your different animal kingdom downgrade for your your created the LAT. The highlight of God's creation was humanity on day five. You made the birds and the fish on day six the land animals in the basics he made human beings. The crown of his creation. The only creation is made in the image and likeness of God.
We can give up, we can receive love.
We have the ability to communicate that separates humans from animal cancer. First of all, we have an identity.
Why am I here who're my purpose okay at the purples. I might want why we hear no real purposes. We couldn't have a relationship with God to know yet again to find out who we are and then let others know like what you do Greg at the harvest Crusade to tell people in all of us do that sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Because we we do have an identity.
We do have a purpose and our purpose is to to live for God in this life and you know you really won't find your purpose until you do, but for God.
All of us probably one time mother tried to find some purpose in an things and and something and it never made it. Never satisfied, but once you let God you know in your life that the Lord Jesus in your life then you have a purpose for living. And what happens after I die in the destiny yeah this life again is not all that there is after death comes eternity remade for eternity. We are not here by blind chance. Where here for a purpose, and the purpose goes beyond this life and so identity, purpose, destiny, the three big questions. Everyone wants to know the Bible gives the answer to those and you see the Bible and we quote the Bible. That's one area people getting hit back on the get is a but yet you quote the Bible but the Bible is full of contradictions will usually say at which my naming one will generally that you might find an exception, but generally they can't usually can't get the defense mechanism like go away Bible full of contradictions and and they don't know contradictions by art what the contradictions are allegedly are because of really are not contradictions in Scripture. So maybe just address the issue of the so-called contradictions of the Bible. Maybe you can identify one and tell us what would an answer would be to okay a lot of people will say the Bible is full of contradictions say okay name one and usually name those that they've heard I heard one rabbi once and this person was teaching one of the local colleges are that we will mention what it is. Some people might go to Cal State Fullerton around anyway but anyway he was talking was talking about Jonah was making fun of the book of Jonah because how in the world could this whale take Jonah to Nineveh because Nineveh is an inland city.
That's a contradiction of as anyone. How could the whale take Jonah to Nineveh and one of the students told me while he talked that that the teacher afterwards a personal two things rabbi didn't say well since large fish got another to know he broke on sea creature to support sea creature vomited Jonah on dry land and Jonah walk in and if I didn't take them all the way there again.
Jesus pointed out grade the source of all error every person that makes they don't know the Scriptures and they don't know the power of God. Chalk it up to one of two Jesus said to the religious leaders when asking this question you do greatly. Air, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God. And so when they bring up you know, so-called, like word Cain get his wife and others as Cain and Abel and also these people are you saved can a couple weren't the only people living at that time Edward in Genesis 52.
It's is Adam and Eve had many sons and daughters and Seth and the end of chapter 4 I was born as replacement for Sable, who was murdered when when Adam and Eve were hundred and 30 years of age or how many people could've been born the time there created 130 so it's questions like that that they do have answers and people again have answer these questions. Thousands and thousands of times throughout history over and over again just finding out where they are so we can trust the Bible because the Bible is the book that there is to predict the future with accuracy that's yeah exactly.
No other book is like it.
It tells things are going to happen. Ahead of time. I we know that God exist know he's in control and we know that he knows the future. It's interesting how these the claims that he makes you sign God.
There is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning, things that haven't happened yet. Isaiah 46, nine and 10.
Isaiah 48, 3 to 5. Same thing in the whole passage in Isaiah, God, the God of Scripture saying what you want to know I exist I'll tell you what's going to happen before the cursor you can know not only I exist, but I'm in control of all things. That's the claim of the God of the Bible's claims are yes no I'm not ignoring you are looking for pokey men. I'm looking at questions here.
Okay, so here's an interesting one were to go want to go there is a good one. I like that I noticed my dentist a nonbeliever in his use reasons not to believe such as quote it's control through fear."" People who are Christians are hypocrites because they send to" and he has more faith in what he can see was science would always say that okay what you think Christians are imperfect when denies that Christians are the issues Jesus Christ is the issue. What's wrong with him. We always turn over trends arson to Jesus what was wrong with Jesus.
He made certain claims about himself and he backed up his claims by three things miracles fill prophecy in his resurrection on the dead. Jesus said if you don't believe my words really my very works across signs that I've done an interesting know when whatever denied he did miracles. It's interesting the first 500 years of the Christian church. There's not one account is come down to us that has denying Jesus doing miracles have as a miracle worker you read the New Testament. They never ask him did he do miracles ask him how to do what I want power, not you did because they knew he did do miracles. Only when we got in all humanity got so smart about you know the 17, 18, 19 centuries and miracles are impossible. People living in Jesus, they didn't have that luxury trip Chili's to quote the Bible of people say they don't believe the Bible we are the powers of the word of God that I really should because there's something in it like you were saying. Greg you want to someone to talk to you right now and people may not think you know there they want to hear the Bible.
There's something about the words of Scripture penetrating deep in her heart done and just get ships and so that's why we want people to read the Bible to hear the Bible and that's why we ought to memorize the Bible answer" it when we can, because God says my Word will not return void will prosper in the place where I send it and it's alive and powerful.
And I think sometimes it's a way Christians quote the Bible print since I think they feel like they have this quota very loudly know what the Bible says the ways it why you don't get on the Virginia you can quote the Bible conversationally in a conversation you could just see when you know what, actually, the Bible tells us this and that but it's funny to me how people hear the Bible you know we did our artwork for our crusade this year and it's an image of me holding up a Bible and we put it up in some malls and in some banners that we rented the space to do that and they actually wrote that they approved it, and then they came back and said we were concerned this will offend some people. Can you send us an image without a Bible. The funny thing in the picture. It doesn't say Bible. It doesn't have a cross on it, but they just see someone holding up a black book and it freaks them out because of the power of the word of God. People know exactly what about the person.
This is often asked, who is never heard the gospel.
As I stated earlier during the middle of the jungle the middle of the desert wherever, but they've never heard it. How could a God of love, send them the hell to me. What I love about the question is oh so you think there's a hell, you will know nothing of a weird saying how good you got a blitz and you believe in the existence of L, but lately just deal with that basic question.
What about the person is never the gospel will they go to hell. Will they be held accountable. Okay, first thing you do take a step back and say, however, we answer this question discusses this is not a question of the authority of Jesus, of the word of God. He settled that on the cross coming back from the dead and that he prove he was the one whom he claimed to be a how he deals with these people is another question. And so by saying well I wonder how it's gonna deal with him so that doesn't take away his authority.
This is not a question of authority is one of interpretation number one number two. Jesus himself said if anybody wants to know the doctrine whether I speak of God or speak for myself.
They will know it's a promise of God. John 717 and Revelation 59 tells us in heaven. The song of the redeemed whose their people from every tribe, every time Chung on the face of the earth.
God will get his word to if they want to know what Isaac Bible college grade we had missionaries come and tell us stories about how the gospel got to these tribes that work again out the jungle, and in places that were basically you know, by themselves, and how people came to faith in Christ, simply because someone wanted to know the truth and they asked God God if you exist you get yourself to me and God did it was a very creative ways seek second Peter 39 the Lord is my sincere desire is that none should perish but all should come to repentance, so if someone wants to note that we may gotta move heaven and earth. And so the idea that there's this person out there that doesn't know and got stuck in a company we have an example that asked Ted member Cornelius doubted this, in turn, he asked God he wanted to know if there was a God that existed who would heal he has done the work since I'm Peter to those that seek me will find where it says and there's the testimony of nature. And then there's of their own conscience or excusing or accusing them so you know they're going to be held accountable for what they know but that should make us want to redouble our efforts to make sure the at least hear the gospel and expose them to the gospel and I love the point you made about when we get to heaven we see people from every tribe, every nation so to the question, what about the persons never heard the gospel clearly the gospel will penetrate every language group.
Every culture all over the entire planet. Indeed, it will and that the Lord cares for member Jesus Christ died for these people he loves them so much. God loved the world that he gave his one and only son. He so loved the world so if we care for him. How much more do they do, but you know great people usually use as an excuse Edwards now that takes away my responsibility will again the person or talk to answer it obviously are they would be asking the question right so that they don't have that excuse so I would zero in back on them exactly right now.
Sometimes we will say will you know you Christian churches week people and hugging Christianity as a crutch for weak people. What he said as well.
The Bible says we've all sinned and come short of the glory of God were all week. That's true with the Bible is Christians on a crutch.
It's a rock and oh yes, our foundation is who we trust you, and it gives us a purpose. Again, back to gallery things reason why were living, identity, purpose and destiny and people don't know that. And when people are faced with death and dying and I begin in all things better get some answers on the XO say it's a crutch. I'm sorry this license goes by very quickly, and after that, who knows what happened God is told us what happens word now like to say another summit. Christianity is not a crutch. At the whole hospital and I need help they needed to. So I guess here's a looping back to what we talked about earlier about the person who supposedly has at all you know on the exterior may look like they do have it all and that may be all the more reason to give the gospel to them because look at all these celebrities that have it all, that are drug addicts or dying of drug overdoses or are alcoholics either checking in or just out of rehab. And what about the celebrities are just people who are often very well off, you are committing suicide. A whole rest of them of lately, these are people that have it all and I would be afraid to use that as an illustration because here it seems to me that everybody no matter how much they have, how much they know how beautiful or handsome they may be everyone deep down inside his empty. There's an emptiness in their life. They were designed to know God. Everyone deep down inside is lonely, you can be in a crowd you can be at a party, but your lonely, deep down inside, everyone is guilty.
There's a guilt that hunts them when they leave their head down at night. That's why a lot of people need all these sleeping pills and all these other things to go to sleep at night because of a guilty conscience, and finally everyone's afraid to die. You know they may say they're not afraid to die there lying there afraid to die and they know they will die in their own mortality bothers them. So I think we just give them the word of God, even if they don't believe in the word of God, that would be like going into a battle you have your sword and summons is what I don't believe your sword is sharp stabbing with it because the word of God is still alive and powerful. I don't mean that literally. By the way, just like you quoted anyway because that seed of God's word can take root in the human heart and then bloom later. It might be 3 o'clock in the morning early.
They wake up in the remember that conversation because God's Holy Spirit took his word that will not return void and brings it back to the forefront of their mind yet. Indeed, I often say you know the people to try and be real arrogant that I don't need God to send that braggadocio is in front of their friends this way to their loan by himself now dark in their own thoughts because I have to start thinking about what it is I'm alone and I don't know what's gonna happen in the future.
What if this guy's right was the gospel is true when of Jesus is the way the truth and the life and where my hat and again this is something more that we learn the Bible we teach great and we quoted so people will think about this and there in the quiet moments. It was CS Lewis's said even atheists have moments of doubt, you know someone can come up with so much bravado, examine atheists, and I believe anything you say anything while I'll never convince them that they're not as certain as they come off, not like that and Wharton says there's no atheists in the foxhole you guns are being shot around them. Bombs are dropped. All of a sudden the God more real than you think because they know that the end could be near, and what you gonna do what's gonna happen afterwards because no one has come back and told us what it's like. On the other side, save one, that's the Lord Jesus he's gone to his death.
Come back to tell us what it's like. On the other side. The other religious leaders of the world.
They stay dead. Boot is dead on how much did Confucius. Instead Jesus Christ is alive and has sirens trying their minds.
It was further of assault Then known for his profanity and his atheism and lack of belief in God. The horrible storm came and rocked the ship and he was washed overboard and his fellow sailors heard them calling out to God, so they were able to pull them back up on deck and they said we thought you didn't believe in God reasonable.
I don't want to be a God at times like this it open so they can have those moments the doubts of though the scene of the word of God without apology and here's what we often hear. I believe that all religions teach the same thing. I have a sticker on my car that says coexistence on my previous and and I and I eat kale and drive my previous and you know don't forget the Bergen the white wine I can start. Yes, forget those Birkenstocks think anyone to look at a Birkenstocks deal now and it relented out anyway so they may be comfortable though all the Birkenstock people are I hate you a minute ago my previous any my kale can lead by the way, I had a harvest sticker on all the religions of the world teach the same thing you know and all roads lead to God and to me that immediately says it's another way of saying I have no idea what I'm talking about is you know if we had clerics from the very religion various religious faith. You know what I'm an email on in, you know, we had a priest from a Buddhist priest and and we had a Christian we had a rabbi and would end if we were to say we all believe the same thing.
We all know that's not true, and in anyone who's even looked a little bit in the teachings of the religions of the world know they don't teach the same thing.
So what you say. The personal religions teach the same thing all roads lead to God. That's not true.
All religions don't teach the same thing. Some teach one God exists. Some teach. Many got some religions like Buddhism basically atheistic don't believe in a God and Christianity makes a specific claim. One way to get to the one God, now that narrows it down. If the Christian claim is true, then by definition, the others are wrong. At that point but they can't all be true at the same times and got to be false. God can't be many gods, only one God. At the same time, he can't be equal to what the universe is in other words, the universe is God or separate from the universe. At the same time. In other words, as something has to give and they can't all be true. All roads lead to God which God you talking about. The Hindus have 330 million different gods okay so when you say God that didn't mean a lot to them. Yeah so you know when you stop and think about it. Let let's just take an example, he, Jesus Christ, let's go to the grid of the world religions right now who is Jesus Christ to a Buddhist young that's a great question depends.
We ask and depends how much they know about what Jesus came after the time Buddha came on.
So Jesus would be Buddhist I talked to he's unenlightened, you know, individually, someone who guided someone was ahead of his time, but he wasn't the son of God wasn't a miracle worker. He was just one of these people who got you know who understood what the word world is all about. Buddha came on the scene to kinda answer the question why do human beings suffer, and he had, he saw these different sites and supposedly got this revelation of what what life is all about. But see, they wouldn't. Again, look at Jesus is anybody special as worksite. Maybe someone who's kinda got it. Like the Buddha did, but not the uniqueness of Jesus would be lost on them. Who is Jesus to a Muslim Muslim.
He's Esau he's a property is one of the prophecies in Islamic profit but is that he's below. Mohammed was the last of the greatest of the prophecies not the son of God is not the person that died on Calvary's cross. He's not that version conceived son of God is not the way the truth and the life is one of many prophets waiting for the last and greatest which was Mohammed is Jesus to a Hindu Hindu again.
That's another thing Hindus have three or 30 million different gods out of the put Jesus in the mix there but the Hindus have this this whole pantheon means all bunch of different gods. They look at Jesus as probably someone to get depends what you're talking about. They look at Jesus is someone again, like the Buddhist that was received certain amount of enlightenment or understanding, but he's not unique in this is the important thing none of them see Jesus as the unique son of God, they may claim. That is one of many there and he's somebody that got it again. He's not the one true God is Jesus to a Jehovah's Witness.
Jehovah's Witnesses believe Jesus was Michael the Archangel of the Old Testament. The first creation of Jehovah God Jehovah God the one God created Jesus the little God, who in turn created everything else.
And so Jesus would be someone they respect, not someone they worship, they were denied the doctor, the Trinity, salvation by grace through faith but is not the son of God when Jehovah's Witness told me at my door respect Jesus, but we don't worship them, we don't adore him.
We don't love him and follow network so who is Jesus to a Mormon spirit brother of Lucifer. He and Lucifer were brothers.
Believe it or not, at yeah Jesus is yeah I don't think it gets weirder and weirder because with with with with all due respect to Mormons. Most people don't learn this right away. If you're have a Mormon back on your know what the God that Mormons worship was once a man he lived a righteous life. He died was resurrected. Now is the God of this planet and Mormon males can exult and become God themselves is Jesus just one of many you know in this great number of God, so he's not again notice this in every single one. He is not unique. You may be called the son of God, he maybe called deity or divinity, but he is not unique son of God, the Bible makes so someone would say well I think that's a the point is is that Jesus Christ, we present the Jesus of the Bible and what we think about a relationship with God.
These are unique teachings of Scripture. The idea of heaven is from Scripture and so we come back to the uniqueness of Christ.
So there was nobody like Jesus that ever walked this earth like to remind people of the reason that Jesus is the only way to the father is Jesus is the only man who ever walked the earth, who was fully God and fully man. He was not man becoming God, that's impossible. He was God who became a man he was God's only begotten son Jesse was uniquely qualified to bridge the gap between the holy perfect God and sinful, wicked, who met humanity and so that's why because he bridge the gap of the died in our place so we could be forgiven of our sins yet. Remember the book of Job. When Job cried out to God, basically saying you don't understand me.
We need someone who can put his hand on God and put his hand on humanity. At the same time and understand both of us and that's what God the son. Jesus did exactly the key. I think the key to effective communication and sharing their faith is in the role of apologetics. To me, is to maybe remove a barrier that stopping a good conversation from happening you address the question but the ultimate thing. Like I've said before, is not to win the argument. It's the when the soul so the power of the gospel is in the story of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
So I want to be the quick path that that answer the question of the best of my ability. I don't have the answer say that's a great question. I want to get back to you and that I want to talk to my pastor called on still hurt or find a book with an answer. Talk to some of these more mature in the faith, but let me come back to what I do know and let me tell you about Jesus. When you say yeah exactly.
That's exactly what you do and you said it right break.
What what we do and apologetics is remove roadblocks and get out because we all have been taught things can't trust the Bible, Jesus maybe never existed. We don't know much about an evolution is true or you know if God is evil. If he does exist and so by answering these questions.
What we want the person to do is see Christ on the cross of no roadblocks in the way and realize that he died for them and make a decision for Christ.
It's not one an argument not to prove how smart we are, but is to bring them to the cross of Christ that is the reason we do what we do you know when Jesus spoke with the woman at the well. She got off in a debate about where God should be worshiped right and you know Samaritans believe this and you Jews believe that Jesus did address the issue. But then he came back to the main issue and I think what we want to try to do is avoid rabbit trails and think this too far off and especially avoid things like political debates that my objective is not to win a political argument is to show them their need for Jesus Christ. Those are secondary issues to me. I want to get to the main message of who Jesus is and and what he promised and how to come into a relationship with him right right so evolution of dinosaurs are going to get the dinosaur because someone asked this question about dinosaurs are dinosaurs in the Bible. And what about evolution okay what dine the word dinosaur wouldn't be in the Bible because it wasn't coined of the 19th century by the British scientist to Richard L1 and so means terrible lizards so know that word is in the Bible, but the teaching as I drove 4015 that describes a creature that we would call a brontosaurus at all the all the you know the different things. A brontosaurus hashing out the hugeness of it. It was that you know it was a wasn't a mediator was a carnivore and that it was in my young life and another when you got to them. The behemoth in the Leviathan and so I behemoth and 4015 Leviathan ran for sea creature and is describing creatures that we don't see today greater but Job knew of them and talk about real creatures. So if God pray to the land animals on the six day and that will dinosaurs so evolution summits as well.
I believe in evolution. I believe we all evolve from eight and in you know, therefore I don't believe I'm treated by God and not accountable to God. How would you respond well again, Job 38 four when Job and his friends were pooling their ignorance God broke into Job and where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth.
Tell me if you have understanding of the words were you there when know none of us were there will God was there and he tells us what he did. Now evolution says Chantix blind chance. There's two choices people have a chance or design and all you have to do is look at the human body. You look microscopically or telescopic, click anywhere in the universe. What would you see design purpose.
Whenever you see design and purpose. There's always a designer and a purpose or who puts that together and that it is the God of the pie. But that says some type of God exists in the God of the Bible tells us who we has it he explains he is the creator God evolution again since everything happened by blind chance, but that we live in a world that doesn't seem like it's by blind chance.
Do we know we live in a world that seems pretty regular and orderly and how to get that way and how to get there without being destroying itself you know. Eons ago, is because it didn't come about by chance God created what about the person who says well I believe that Jesus Christ was a great man. Maybe the greatest man who ever lived. He was a great moral teacher and a guru or a prophet, etc. but you know I don't necessarily believe that he's the only way that God did you know if you found you know fulfillment through Christianity in your religion. That's fine but but I'm finding that my own way but I don't think Jesus is anyone special yeah but Jesus claimed to be more than a mere man he going to be God the son, the one way to get to the true God. He either was or he was not. If he was not. He was either a liar, knowing he wasn't the one way to get the one God said it anyway or is a lunatic, thinking he was not one way to get the one God, but was excited and so you can have Jesus the great teacher great teacher would not lie about years, and himself and claimed to be God and to start work that way. He's either Lord of all or not Lord at all. It's just that simple. Yes it was true. So let let's shift gears to other questions outside of just nonbelievers asking years when that someone asked you believe we will be ruptured soon and what is soon and many say now we will go through the great tribulation. Possible let's explain terms rapture is a word used in first Thessalonians 417 which talks about a generation of Christians. It will be caught up rapture caught up to meet the Lord in the air as they're caught up alive. They will be changed for mortal and immortal, right before that happens, the dead in Christ rise first. Those who have died their bodies in the great spirits with the Lord.
They will be joined together in wall yellow completed at that time. First Thessalonians 418 says comfort one another with these words.
That's an event that's talked about in the New Testament. First Thessalonians 413 to 18 first Corinthians 1551 to 58 in John 14, 1 to 3 all talks about this about Jesus coming for his own now. The timing of that traffic happened.
Soon it could. We don't know we don't know Greg, you know, here's the thing we need to live every day as though it were last in affect John Wesley. I think of John Wesley once told a great group of young preachers preach every sermon as though will be your last one you'll be right you know.
So what you do. You let me stay that way because you don't know you don't know none of us are promised tomorrow. James is her life is like a vapor like smoke just here and gone and so whether it happens in our generation were going to see the Lord one way or another anyway and so but while were here the time of waiting is a time of working outstanding on the launchpad ready to blast off and some white outfit getting out preaching the gospel. That's right getting out of preaching the gospel. That's the operative phrase there are, you know, Martin Luther said, paraphrasing there two days in my life. There's this day and that day and basically the day before me that God is given and that the day of the Lord. Let's do a lightning round. I just give you a term and give me a really brief explanation of the case for you to find the rapture come back to the gun. The rapture is what the catching up of living believers to meet the Lord is, there being in the will be change. Transformers are caught up. What is the great tribulation is called the 70th week of Daniel. At the time of Jacob's trouble is a seven year period, with the wrath of God hits was upon the earth. Okay, who is the antichrist of the antichrist is the final Antichrist. Many antichrists have, according to first John 218, the final one will be a Gentile world ruler is called the first beast of Revelation chapter 13 to be a world ruler who will that his cohort the. Everyone worship him. What was the best Beatles song. Hey Jude.
What I said hey Joe that's your answer.
Yeah, the best Beatles and his agent yeah is given. What was the worst Beatles song. The ballad of John and Yoko know what were talking about some do. I just like the little things and we got okay to end times and it hundred and �44,000 with the know. I know 12,000 of each of the 12 tribes general dimension. The second coming.
Distinguish the second coming from the rapture. Yeah, the rapture is always a time of joy and blessedness for believers, the second coming is the time of judgment where God comes to earth and judge of the believers. This is when Christ comes to earth to set up his kingdom on the earth.
And the good news. You and I those who know Christ to come with them and working a room with him and we go ahead with the battle of Armageddon. Armageddon is more the campaign of final war which meets at the plane of ghetto which is the Israel and moves towards Jerusalem and it's kind of the final battles the Lord intervenes at that times rescues the Jewish people at that time actually turned to faith in Christ as the Messiah and he comes back then and carvers enemies antichrist destroys him false prophet and sets up his kingdom and millennium. What is that many of the Latin word for thousand new thousand year reign of Christ on the earth which will happen after the second coming. We believe in a literal millennium.
Some people don't symbolically believe this to be a literal thousand years, the Christ will reign as an intermediate kingdom before eternity begins. What is the new Jerusalem new Jerusalem is great. That's Revelation 21, 1 to 5, the city that comes down from heaven.
You and I will live in and the one probably one of the greatest pastors in all the Bible is Revelation 21, 1 to 5 were talks about the new Jerusalem, coming down God will dwell with us.
We will be his people, he will be our God, he will wipe away all tears there be no more pain, no more crying. The former things have passed away and would be with him forever and ever. And as I why do you have some of the Cats how many cats do you have right now six what we have a dog to driver pretty is not one of the names of all your Okay we have vanilla. The one you like you do you like your boy send me a picture of vanilla like what was the melanomas curled up with your book Manila know you liked my outfit sways on like your and she curled up on it. We took a picture of Sen. Gregson's ever heard me preach. As I said some things about Now. Vanilla videos forgiven you to. She's very picky who she likes and like you, I'm honored.
Say hello to Guido and then we have another Coach I was. There's no guile and try why would you name a chance.
I didn't. My oldest daughter did okay and before you know my dog. My oldest daughter I the way, if I could. Can I brag a minute about this is daughter just graduated this June from Duke University and Durham, North Carolina. She graduated law that means the last honors and is one of 32's United States of America on a Rhodes scholarship. She's going to England. Oxford England is trying vanilla chai went well going up mama cat on the CAT scan.
The big one at the endless cocoa black cat that always talks cocos funny yeah and and scrubbing that 1/2 mustache can like that one is I want to scrub it off. That's when regularly in the lines you name I can't scrub running because I want to scrub off the Mustang gyros only happen when I go I like to you and and and then there is a Rhodes scholar is yes exactly, and then they'll dells the last Daughter by the daughter Kelsey picked up Bill okay so let's wrap this up as board assistant boring because we burn through time, but we have a lot of fun down and I talk about all kinds of things. Okay, so we see all the gospel preached the gospel share the gospel. The gospel, the gospel in a nutshell, what is the gospel. I need to know because I'm an evangelist and I have to preach it soon to tell me so I have the answer yeah yeah let's hope you do before you get out there. Now this is something all of us need to be able to do a very simple God created the human race. Perfect because of the sin of the first parents, Adam and Eve, the world is imperfect, it's not. Again, this is not the world God created but to bring humankind back to God and God the son 2000 years ago became a human being he died for the sins of the world. He died in our place so we could know him in a personal way. He rose from the dead proving he was the one whom he claimed to be. He ascended into heaven, and someday he's gonna come back and join the living and the dead. But the gospel very simply as Christ died for our sins.
He was buried, and he rose again. First Corinthians 15 1 to 3, and so the message the great preacher so well that all of us hope we are doing to is that there is a God is one way to get the one God and the gospel says Jesus Christ is the answer for all of us, not just our answer. Your answer to. And that's the gospel in a nutshell, trying let's say there's somebody here because there is a further always says or somebody watching you know when Facebook live were online where you know people hear this later someone's watching listing wherever they are present here with us in the moment and there's an okay I want to believe the gospel. I want to go to heaven when I die, let me just kind of jump off that for a moment will come back to it.
What happens to a nonbeliever if they die without Jesus Christ.
Yeah Luke 16 actually tells us what happened. There's two people that died a rich man and I'm a poor man named Lazarus, the rich man did not know the Lord.
He went to this place in the realm of the dead where he was conscious, he was still aware of who we was where he was.
He was in a place of torment. A place of punishment, and he realized Greg that he knew who he was a news where he was. He knew why he was there and he knew that he didn't want anybody else to go there either. And that tells us Luke 16, verse 19 about in verse 30 what happens to the on the believer when they die. It's a place a temporary place of punishment, waiting for the final judgment. Revelation 2011 to 15th when the great white throne judgment takes place. So once you die.
There's no other chances after death. That's it. That's why we need to share the gospel any. Here's the bottom line get out. The bottom line of the gospel is if you believe in Jesus. Your sin is forgiven and you can go to heaven when you die and you will not go to hell. That's the big message. All the other wonderful things we talked about the peace and joy and purpose of the wonderful things but the bottom line is that in so someone is this thing right now and they said okay I want to believe the gospel. I want to know that I go to heaven when I die, one of the need to do real simple. They just need to say a simple prayer something like this God if your God and Jesus Christ. If you're the son of God than right this moment, the best way that I know how I want to trust you as Savior. Greg you know God accepts that member the criminal next to Jesus on the cross he said remember me. The Lord knows the hardest position of the body so that is the position of the heart knows your heart and you're using flowery words you say I want to know Jesus and along that line for simple it really is.
You know that dad became a Christian I really understood so little of what I was doing that, but I knew this, I believed what I heard about Jesus Christ. I wanted to know Jesus Christ and so I prayed this prayer and and you know I think we way over complicate this thing and and it's not as hard as we think it is and is not as hard to share the gospel as we think it is and you know more than you think you do and I think a lot of times folks say why I just don't know that much. You know a lot if you come to church and you live